When it comes to The Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, I can tell you that I started watching for the nostalgia. The Wizards of Waverly Place was a show that I used to watch religiously (yes, that may date me, but that’s okay). Both shows are unique, even though they are part of the same world.
One of the things that makes The Wizards Beyond Waverly Place so unique and so good is its star – Janice LeAnn Brown. The young star plays Billie – a young wizard who is in desperate need of training. Alex Russo (Selena Gomez) brings her to Justin Russo’s (David Henrie) home for just that. The show follows Justin’s return to magic and the family dynamic.
Billie is a little misguided and used to people giving up on her. The Russo’s don’t give up on family.
What I love about Billie is that I have heard from numerous friends kids, as well as nieces have told me that they want to be like Billie. They enjoy her and her fearlessness. Billie inspires them all to really go out and live their life.
Sitting down to talk to Janice LeAnn Brown was a treat. Not only because it made me cool with some of my nieces, but because this actress is a star. She’s humble and kind; appreciative of every moment.
Janice LeAnn Brown doesn’t take anything for granted. She learns from every moment.
She is a star.
Fangirlish: I was a huge fan of The Wizards of Waverly Place. And so I dove into this one not knowing what to expect, but like I love how you guys have built your own world and yet stuck with nostalgia and yet, made nostalgia different. Were you nervous about taking on this role?
Janice: I was so nervous I put so much pressure on myself like a lot, because I know that it meant a lot to a lot of people, and I didn’t want to let them down. Also, my cousin was a huge fan of it. I was a big fan of the movies and everything. So it meant a lot to me playing the role. I put quite a lot of pressure on myself without really paying attention to what was truly important, and that was having fun and just letting go. And you know, being creative but due to the amazing support system that I have that with my cast mates, and also with Mr. David and Miss Selena.
They were just so like they were so sweet about it. And since they’ve already like kind of know what that feeling is, because they’ve already done it. It was kind of worse for them, because they built it on their own. Maybe they were like, Oh, I don’t know if the show is even gonna do good. They had so much great advice to give all of us, and I know that I really needed it, especially as I’m already hard on myself, or I was already hard on myself, but they were just so supportive and so sweet and calm about the whole process. I feel like we all truly learned so much for them. They were like literally the most coolest people to work with.
Fangirlish: I hope you do know that you legitimately steal the scene as soon as you walk into like into a scene. It doesn’t matter if David or Selena are there. You have such a presence on the screen. Have you been able to like separate the noise from the like, the good and the bad noise, and really just take in the fun?
Janice: Yes. I was very proud of myself in that. That was one thing I thought I’d never do, because one thing about me, I’m very hard on myself. Everything that may get critiqued on, i’m constantly kind of yelling at myself in my head, but I was very proud of myself because I feel like with this whole thing. I was just kind of getting out of that kind of mean habit towards myself. And I was definitely learning so much that I didn’t even know, and everything there’s so much to learn. And I was just very proud that I was able to overcome all of it.
Fangirlish: My little nieces like they’ll come to me, and they’ll talk to me about the show. I may have watched the screeners the 1st time around, but we I watched it with them the second time that I watched it. One thing that they say is that they want to be like Billie. They want to be so strong and as energetic as she is like. Did you ever think that you would become like a role model to little girls everywhere?
Janice: Don’t make me cry! Oh, my gosh! That’s so sweet! No, I didn’t think that hearing that I don’t. Whoa!
Fangirlish: I’m sorry I didn’t mean to throw you off balance
Janice: No, no, no, no, no! You’re so great that means so much.
Fangirlish: Billy has such a presence, and Billie’s presence comes from you, and they find her to be strong and fearless. Do you find her to be that way? Are you that way in real life?
Janice: I’m not that way in real life, and I think that’s another reason why I kind of also fell in love with the character. I feel like I’m growing with her. I’m learning so much from her. And I’m also kind of putting kind of a little bit of myself in her. I’m kind of gaining a little bit of her confidence, and I feel like she’s also kind of gaining a little bit of my humbleness. That’s like the best part of it all. It’s just truly a great and beautiful feeling that I feel so blessed to experience.
Fangirlish: You really are very humble. I’ve been sitting here listening to you, and I’m like. The show is so good because in part of you and because of the way that you portray Billie it, what part of her is most like you.
Janice: I don’t mean to be all sad and everything. I’m trying hard not to. I think the fact that sometimes she [Billie] feels often times like she constantly is messing up, I feel like that is where I most, kind of relate to. I mess up a lot like a lot, but that’s the kind of like the beautiful part of it for me. I’m actually adopted by my grandparents. I can do so many things, and they just constantly always forgive me.
With the Russos she does so many things, gets into all these mischievous things that all these spells cause. They just always forgive her. I feel like it’s really kind of a like a reflection of like my own life. So I feel like I’m learning from her, really, and and also the Russos. So it’s great.
Fangirlish: What is the biggest lesson that you learned about yourself doing this show?
Janice: That I don’t have to constantly be hard on myself. I do deserve to get myself flowers and I don’t have to constantly put weight on myself. I am a good person. I’m just. I make mistakes, and that’s just being a person.
I shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help, which was also something that David always talks about. He lets us know asking for help is not a weakness, it is actually a sign of strength. That’s what he always tells us and everything. This whole experience is just a whole like reas reassurance for me and it’s amazing. I love it so much.
I’m glad that I can also kind of be there, for you know little girls like your nieces, and everything that means so much to me that wow!
Fangirlish: I think it’s great that you inspire other people doing what you love like. If you weren’t an actress, what do you think you’d want to be doing?
Janice: Honestly, don’t know. Acting is the love my life. I love it so much. If I could marry it, I would. It’s so therapeutic, and I love it. I don’t know what I would be doing in school. I don’t know.
Fangirlish: That’s my favorite answer, because it means that you’re following your heart. And you’re doing what you’re passionate about. What do you hope in 20 years, when people watch this show, what do you hope that they take away from it? What do you hope they have to say about it?
Janice: For my character, you know, cause like I definitely have a very soft spot for those who go through adoption because of you know I went through that as well. I kind of hope that Billie is a love letter to people who may feel alone, to people who may feel like they might have been a burden, or to people who might have been feeling they’ll never find a place where they belong.
I just hope that she can be a I guess example that there really is somewhere out there for everyone. That the end day no one is ever truly alone. You have people there for you. You may not have found them yet, for those that might be struggling, finding them. I just hope that they don’t give up on love.
That’s what I hope that she can kind of give the people and what the show can give them and everything. And I hope that that’s what you know, kids, my age right now, or maybe little kids right now can take away, and they can say that that’s really what they felt when they get older – that family bond and love.
Fangirlish: What advice would you give to girls like you and girls who aren’t like you about following their dreams?
Janice: I think what I would probably tell them is that there’s going to be hardships. I feel like that’s one thing that not a lot of people may talk about is how hard it is. It’s not gonna be all cupcakes and rainbows and everything. But you don’t have to act like everything’s okay. It’s okay to show emotion. It’s okay to be vulnerable about how you feel. You don’t have to bottle it all up. Because when you do that, then one day it’s just all gonna explode. It’s going to be a big mess.
I would definitely encourage people to speak out about how they feel in their journey of following their heart, because it can be hard. I feel like that’s with anything really, not even just with acting. It could be with singing, could be with sports; whatever you might be interested in. Just don’t give up. It’s gonna be hard, but just be patient and just trust the timing.
